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  • May 31, 2013 at 3:22 am #40370

    Dremster
    Member

    I am working my way through season 4 and have a quick question about “negative” い adjectives. For example TextFugu would have me change 大きい into おおきくない.
    However, I have learned through another one of my study resources that it can be おおきくありません. Obviously the TextFugu way is a bit less verbose. I would like to know if there is any difference between the two, maybe one for certain situations? Thanks!

    May 31, 2013 at 4:54 am #40372

    thisiskyle
    Member

    大きくありません is more polite. However you can also say 大きくない です which is also polite.

    May 31, 2013 at 4:58 am #40373

    Jason
    Member

    おおきくありません is a more polite form, perhaps more in reference to inanimate objects.  Example, くるまはおおきくありません (The car is not big).  Because it uses the negative form of ある, you would not use it with a living thing so 犬はおおきくありません would be incorrect and you would instead say 犬はおおきくないです。

    わかりましたか？

    May 31, 2013 at 5:12 am #40375

    thisiskyle
    Member

    ある can be used with people and animals.
    ジェーソンさん、おとうと　が　ありますか？　Jason, do you have a younger brother?
    ジェーソンさん、おとうと　が　いますか？　Jason, is your younger brother here?

    ない is actually a form of ある. So in either case (大きくない・大きくありません) you are using the verb ある.

    May 31, 2013 at 5:31 am #40377

    Joel
    Member

    ない = casual negative of ある. It’s one of the weird exceptions, and used to throw me every time they hit us with a “quick! Write the negatives!” worksheet. =P

    That said, you’re correct in saying the verb ある is usually used only for inanimate objects – but even though the negative ～なくありません or ～じゃありません forms are technically the same word, it’s not the same usage. They’re not verbs but adjectives, so anything goes.

    May 31, 2013 at 6:10 am #40378

    Jason
    Member

    Well I’m likely getting it a little mixed up.  Although I know there is a specific context where you would use いる / います and not ある / あります.  I vaguely recall being corrected on that one.

    EDIT: Season 6, Lesson 4 explains it far better.  That’s what I was thinking of.

    • This reply was modified 12 years, 5 months ago by  Jason.
    May 31, 2013 at 1:12 pm #40387

    Dremster
    Member

    Thank you for the replies. I think I get the idea. Also, as I understand it います and いません etc. are used when referring to living things. While あります and ありません etc. are for inanimate objects.

    May 31, 2013 at 2:24 pm #40390

    Joel
    Member

    Yes, but that’s a different matter to 大きくありません.

    Grammar dictionary adds that ある can be used for animate objects if it’s something that’s very close to you, like a family member or close friend.

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